Forgetting How To Remember
by Hana Okita
Summary: The gentle melody beckoned to her from the door, urging her to come closer and allow the music to splash over her. She obliged, not knowing what horrors might face her. "Hello there. Do you know my name, girl?" [Rating might rise]
1. Musical Box

**Chapter 1**

**-Musical Box-**

* * *

"… And they lived happily ever after!" A woman exclaimed, shutting the thick book she held in her hands and tickling a tiny girl that was curled up in a bed. "Isn't it happy? The princess and the prince gets together, and the evil witch is gone!" The girl on the bed tilted her head.

"… Mama?" She asked tentatively, fiddling with the bed covers. Her mother sensed something wrong and leaned down so that her head was the same level as her daughter's. The mother nodded as a sign for the girl to continue. "Why are all fairy tales' endings the same? The prince saves the princess and they get together … Mama, I want something different, can you read a different story? One that … the evil wins, and the good … are defeated … it feels special that way, mama, doesn't it?"

The girl's mother sat straight in her chair, her back rigid, and her eyes wide with shock. She found her voice and began talking. "Well …" Is it okay to tell her six-year-old daughter, though? Is it all right to unveil the harshness of reality to her daughter? After all, she herself wanted to know … the woman shook her head, pushing away the thoughts. No. Her daughter was too young. One day, she reminded herself, one day I'll tell her. _One day. _"I'll tell you next time," Sighed the mother, pulling up the girl's covers. "Now you have to sleep, dear, and tomorrow perhaps I'll tell you the answer." How long will she have to do this, though? Delaying every day … letting the question hang in mid air, the answer unknown …

The girl watched as her mother kissed her forehead, humming a soft lullaby for her. She watched as her mother walked to the door quietly, thinking that she was asleep, turning off the lights and closing the door quietly. She frowned slightly. Her mother had wound up a musical box nearby, and the gentle tune washed over her, rippling little waves of sleepiness over her body. The girl snuggled in her blanket, suddenly feeling cold – for some reason, her blood was chilling cold, her heart thumping loudly … probably something _evil _coming. Maybe it's a witch, coming to kidnap her in her sleep, like the way the witch stole Rapunzel when she was sleeping?

The girl closed her eyes. _Sleep, sleep, sleep … _But the more she thought of those lines, the more awake she felt. She could hear a different melody … it isn't the gentle melody from the music box her mother bought her. No – this one is more mysterious, _darker_, the girl decided, and it didn't feel good. She shivered, perhaps this was the reason why she felt so scared, and like something bad may happen to her in the nighttime. The girl saw her mother turn off the lights in the living room, leaving her in pure darkness, and her eyes widened with fear. _No – don't! Don't leave me alone, no, I'm scared, Mama, Papa, where are you? Save me! _For some reason, she was glued to her bed, and she couldn't get out. The door of her parent's room closed with a soft thud. _No, no! Don't close the door - open it! Please! Open it back, Mama … Papa …_

The gentle melody beckoned to her from the door, urging her to come closer and allow the music to splash over her. She obliged, not knowing what horrors might face her, not knowing how her mother's terrified scream would sound like, when she found her precious daughter gone the next day … not knowing that she'd even regret that decision.

_Ah, jump into my trap, now dear, and dance to the beat of my waltz. Let us twirl on the bloodstained dance floor, laughing at the past victims – oh, how stupid they were, weren't they, walking straight into a trap! Ah_, _ah, but you too, my dear, are one of them. You are one of the stupid victims._

A cloth was pressed to the girl's mouth, muffling her screams. She flailed her arms around, trashing madly, and tried to pry off the chubby arms that surrounded her throat. A sick smell reached her nose and she felt dizzy, finally slumping against the person as she sank into a dead faint.

No one noticed a cloaked figure running off silently, holding a sleeping girl in his arms.

* * *

When the girl came to, she found herself lying at a bed, her vision obscured by a cloth-like object – probably a blindfold. The tiny six-year-old tried groped around in the air, but failed to do so as she discovered her hands and legs were bound to the bed. A man's voice – low and husky, reached her ears and she trembled.

"Ah, you're awake. Get up, girl, Mister wants to see you. I think." The girl grunted, moving her arms a little bit, hoping that the man – whoever he is, but the girl settled with calling him 'the man' – would get her meaning. "Oh, you're tied up. Wait a second, I'll take those out." Some shifting around, and her hands were free. Instinctively the girl rubbed her swollen hands, wincing at the pain. After a moment or so her legs too were free. A hand closed around her hand and began dragging her to some place. The girl pulled on the man's sleeve. He grunted. She pointed at her blindfold, wondering why he didn't take it out.

"Oh, that," chuckled the man, probing a bit at the blindfold. The girl backed away from him and he tightened the cloth concealing her vision. "You got to keep that on, in case you memorize the pathways and escape when we're not looking." The girl tilted her head, confused. Escape? What is escaping? Is it edible? Is it a person? The man started pulling her outside, the girl knew, as she heard the door behind them close softly. Their footsteps made soft noises against the wooden floor, muffled slightly by the long rug.

"Almost there," said the man helpfully, after the two had been walking for what seemed like an hour. He stopped dead and the girl screeched to a halt. The man knocked on a hard object – a door perhaps? A bell rang from the other end of the wall and the man holding the girl's hand pushed the door open, finally pulling off her blindfold. The girl sneezed, and the noise echoed around the quiet place. The girl shuddered with cold, and someone draped a warm thing around her. The girl felt it. It was a jacket. It was warm. She smiled.

"Hello there." A voice said, and the girl jumped, looking around. She was in a giant room, lined with hundreds of sections and thousands of bookracks and millions of shelves. A chandelier was the only source of light in the whole room, and it was swaying a little bit dangerously. In the center of the room there was a giant table, piled with books and papers. On top of a particular pile there was a lamp that shone a single ray of light, illuminating the table. Behind the table sat a man in a business suit, his hands folded and his chin rested on it, inspecting the girl. She inched away, this man wasn't like Papa, and Papa is _always _smiling, no matter how tired he was. Papa also radiated a warm air, attracting little children to approach him. This man, though – he was smiling too, but it didn't reach his eyes.

_Ah, run away more, now dear, and dance to the rhythm of my waltz. You will never escape – you're wrapped around my little finger, bound to me. This is your fate, my dear, you're supposed to stay, __**stay forever. **__You can cry all you want, scream all you want, but nothing will help. This is reality, dear, and it isn't the same as fairy tales._

The girl inched away some more, but a hand stopped her. She looked up, and saw a face of a hooded figure. Maybe he was the one who escorted her here. She turned to the man and tilted her head confusedly. She doesn't understand. Is this a dream? Mama said something about sweet dreams to her before … but Mama said that dreams were always happy, and the girl didn't have … scary dreams before. What were scary dreams called, again? Night … something … ah yes, nightmare. They were called nightmares. Is this a nightmare?

The man was speaking now. "Do you know my name, girl?" He asked, crooning a finger for her to come closer. She did, taking a tiny step further. Then another. And another. This went on until she was an arm's length away from the man. "Do you know my name, girl?" He repeated. She shook her head. "My name … isn't important. You can call me Mister." She nodded. "And … I am the ruler of this place. Rulers are like a king of a certain … society, and the others will have to listen to them. They have the ability to do everything – from banning and spanking to punishing and killing. You understand, girl?" The girl knitted her eyebrows, pondering, and shook her head no. What is punishing? What is killing? What are these men talking about?

"Mister, she is only a kid." The man who escorted her interjected, and the girl turned to look at him. "She's only a child – six year old, more or less. She won't possibly understand. Perhaps when she is older, mister, then we will explain." Mister nodded, and smiled at the girl. This time the smile was genuine, though … it seemed a little different. A little … _evil_, maybe, though she doesn't know how to describe it. Mister nodded at the man once more, and he began pulling the girl towards the door. She cast Mister one last look, waved, and followed the man out.

Mister chuckled darkly behind her, and a tiny boy walked out of the shadows.

"Did you see that, Len?"

The boy nodded, the soft light casting on his canary blond hair. "I did, father."

"She will be your partner in the future."

"I know, father."

Mister laughed sadistically. Maids and butlers nearby heard it, and sighed, silently mourning for whomever who met the sad fate of ever meeting Mister.

* * *

_This story is so dark. Not my character, but ah well. Got to take some tries. Sorry if the vocabulary is limited, remember – the girl, whoever she is, is still very small, and she's not supposed to know much. I know I'm very dumb for creating a new story, because I have so many incomplete others, buuuuuuuut. _

_Reviews, please! They make me feel loved. Perhaps I'll update sooner~ *wink, wink*_

_-Hana :) _


	2. The Alarm is Going Off

**Chapter 2**

**-The Alarm is Going Off-**

* * *

A blond boy sat on a wicker chair, groaning as he rubbed his head. He turned back to the computer that sat on a wooden table in front of him and typed furiously. He groaned again and leant back.

"What's wrong?" A pink-head leaned over the boy's shoulder, her glasses reflecting the glowing screen of the laptop. She frowned and squinted her eyes. "I can't see." Taking her glasses off the girl had a better look. She shrugged and polished her glasses with the rim of her cardigan. "What's wrong?" She repeated, looking up at the blonde.

He gestured dramatically at the computer. "I can't hack into their system. I don't know which brat fixed the password and I just can't seem to hack it." He pointed at a small window on the top of the computer screen. "And our 'signature' virus is really slow today. I don't know what happened."

The girl sighed and went to a corner of the room, her hands roaming the walls. She clicked on a switch and the lights were switched on, illuminating the room. "Focus, Rinto. I know you can do it. When did you fail us? Look properly, genius." She looked at her nails lazily and raked her hand through her hair.

Rinto glared at her for a moment and returned his sight to the computer, searching for an unknown password that refuses to show up. He suddenly brightened, sat up straight, and started typing furiously, his hands dancing over the keyboard as if he were playing the piano. Soon enough, the computer gave a beep and the screen glowed green, presenting the words 'Welcome to Science and Corp!' With a triumphant roar, Rinto slumped back down on the chair.

"You did it?" The pink-head asked excitedly, hopping to the boy's side once more. She grinned as the boy typed around, and handed him a can of orange juice. "Good job, Rinto. That was the fastest, I think." Rinto gave her a tired smile and continued typing, mumbling a thanks for giving him an orange juice. The girl paced around the room while sipping the juice, and stopped when she passed a window.

"It's done, Luka." The boy announced, stepping up from his chair and walking away from the computer like he wanted nothing to do with it. His eyes traveled to a glass capsule containing a green-haired girl. Her waist-length hair blew around her body to a gentle breeze, and her eyes remained closed. Rinto smiled softly at the girl as he pressed a button on the computer. The capsule opened and the pink-head, Luka, turned her gaze from the window to her.

"Luka, dress Gumi." Rinto ordered simply. Luka nodded and went to fetch the awakening girl.

* * *

Gumi wandered around the deserted office, her movements as fluid as a dancer's, her footsteps hardly there. Gumi turned, pointing her cat-like eyes at a certain office room with the lights turned on. She frowned and fiddled with her green earpiece that hung by her ear, slipping past the woman.

"_Hey, Gumi. You there?" _The familiar voice of Luka sounded in the girl's ear. She smiled faintly. Just right.

"Yeah. Why is there a woman in the office when it's supposed to be empty? Did Rinto do something wrong with the CCTV?"

"_No. She's probably working for an overtime shift or something like that. Ignore her, and she won't notice you. You're trained for this." _Luka encouraged. _"Now, do you remember where you should go?"_

"Um. Checkpoint 1?"

"_Lovely, you remembered. M__ove to Floor 38 via Escalator 16, and hide in Lab 78, Section F. Lock the door after you do." _The earpiece crackled a little.

"Okay." Gumi slithered past the woman, and went to the escalator, jumping down lightly. She turned her head, looking around. Gumi looked heavenward and saw a directory, with one arrow pointing to the right saying 'Section A – G'. Gumi walked to her right, looking around before proceeding. Section A … Section C … Section D … there! Section F. Gumi walked into the narrow corridor and successfully found Lab 78. She pushed the door open and shivered as a gust of cold air rushed forward to say hello.

"_Good, you found it." _Luka's voice came back as soon as Gumi turned the lock of the door. _"Rinto is replacing the surveillance cameras' videos with records from the past week, so the guards won't know you're there if you're quiet. Now, I want you to get out from that lab from the back door an arm away from your right and you might find Elevator 106."_

Gumi walked to the back door, her heels clacking loudly in the silent room. She turned the door open and went out, slipping comfortably into 'silent mode'. She ran to a dark corner of the hall, her footsteps muffled by the red carpet below her feet, and reached Elevator 106, panting. With a winning grin, Gumi smashed her hand on the button with a glowing red '1' on it. It flickered and flashed green, before darkening and becoming a normal elevator button. Gumi pulled the microphone to her mouth and whispered in it. "Checkpoint 1 gone."

"_That's good. Now, come back to headquarters, let's get you ready for Checkpoint 2." _Luka squealed in her ear, and with an exasperated sigh, Gumi changed out of her black jacket and black jeans into an office suit, looking like an ordinary woman coming back from a particularly late night shift.

* * *

Luka straightened Gumi's new outfit, now a black tank top covered by a black sweater, and a black scarf nearly covering Gumi's face. On her waist she wore a black skirt and black stockings, with black sandals. Gumi frowned. She looked like some black-obsessed Goth. Luka seemed to notice the other girl's discomfort, and smiled, patting Gumi's shoulders to let them relax and loosen.

"It's okay, black is a part of your disguise. Once you finish disabling Checkpoint 2, we'll get you out of these clothes."

Gumi looked at Luka and frowned slightly, but replaced it with a weary smile. She averted her gaze to a blond boy standing by the window, the wind blowing his hair around.

"Rinto!"

Rinto turned at the call of his name, and smiled at Gumi, his eyes trailing down her body, studying her outfit. "You look … black." He said finally, rubbing his chin. "Really black." Rinto looked up and grinned at Luka. "Good job, Luka. That is the blackest black I've ever seen."

"That didn't make sense."

Luka was ignored. Rinto looked at the empty glass capsule Gumi had been in earlier, and Gumi felt her lips tilt into a dainty frown. The girl, though she's reluctant to admit it, had always been frail and tiny, like a dandelion. Gumi looked up at Luka, to find the girl scowling slightly at the sight of the capsule.

"You're going to put me in _that _again, Rinto?" Gumi asked, her voice travelling to the other side of the room, where Rinto stood. The boy turned, his blue eyes seemed to be taking out every single secret from Gumi's pathetic little soul. "Don't. It is terrible in there, feeling like you're torn from life and death, in a state of consciousness and unconsciousness. I don't see how that'll train us."

"It makes you sharper," Rinto said curtly, twisting a strand of his golden hair around his bony finger. His hair seemed to shine brighter under the moonlight. "You used to be a klutz last time, screwing up in every mission." Gumi's face reddened at his words. It was true. "But look at you now," Rinto continued, "You didn't even kick a soda can. It surprises me sometimes, how you could be observant when you want to."

Gumi shrugged, and Luka let go of her lime-green hair, finishing her job of tying it up in a simple braid, so Gumi could slip it in her (also black) hairnet.

"Done!" The pink-haired girl chirped, hopping forwards and leaning before Gumi, tucking stray strands behind her ear. Luka smiled. "I feel like I'm braiding Luko's (I know, lame name) hair again …" Her happy smile faded into a melancholic smile. Luka sighed and walked to a table, opening a bottle of water. "Though her hair was pink, not green … all the same, anyway. Pink and green, I noticed, makes a good match. I must try it on you one day, Gumi!"

Luko was Luka's sister. Keyword being _was_. Luka had cared for the young girl dearly, being her elder sister, and brought her for every meeting the trio held. Gumi liked Luko, too. Luko was gentle and really quiet and obedient, never crossing the line and keeping a distance when the group talked about 'top-secret' or 'private' things. Last year Luko was involved in a car crash while buying groceries, went into a coma, and the next month she didn't open her eyes anymore. Gone. Bye-bye. _Dead_.

An alarm sitting beside Rinto's silver laptop rang, its electronic beep echoing throughout the room. Everyone turned to it, and Rinto checked his watch. With his jaw set and shoulders squared, he turned to Gumi.

"Time for Checkpoint 2. Who's ready?"

* * *

_Sorry for the really short chapter! I can't really do long chapters without giving out a lot of spoilers, but once all this mystery thing is over, I'll write some longer chapters! Oh, and thanks for all the reviews! I love them._

_Reviews, please~_

_-Hana_


	3. Futile Convincing

**Chapter 3**

**-Futile Convincing-**

* * *

"My name is Meito," The man in the cloak provided, looking at the girl after he shut the door. She barely reached his waist and he towered over her. The girl looked up at him, her eyes flashing in the light as she tried to make out his face, the man could tell. Then she broke out into a giant grin and nodded wordlessly, signalling him to continue. Meito took a big breath and rambled on almost silently, his voice mingling with the uncomfortable silence and their footsteps.

"I am the assistant of Mister, the man you saw just now. And ... and I brought you here. Orders from Mister himself specially." Meito sighed, letting out the breath he was holding in previously. The girl narrowed her eyes slightly, her feeble brain placing the puzzle pieces together but failing. "... And I'll be taking care of you for the next four years of your stay here. Of course, you'll be getting a partner ..." The girl's eyes narrowed further, and a tiny grunt was released from her mouth while her finger crawled its way up to her mouth and began scratching her puffed out cheeks. Meito controlled himself from smiling.

"But we shouldn't be talking about this now, you're too young to understand." He clapped his hands and hung a hand across the girl's shoulders. "Let's go back to our room, and I'll let you eat some fruits." The girl beamed at him, her attention already diverted from their previous conversation as she babbled about her favourite fruits.

"I like the apple! And the banana, too! Kiwi is nice, and so are mangoes! But they get really sour sometimes and it isn't really nice anymore." The girl puffed out her cheeks childishly, and Meito guessed that it was one of her bad habits. "Pineapples taste ... great! But when they get sour, mama told me to -" The girl stopped herself and scratched her cheeks again (perhaps another bad habit, Meito observed), her eyes confused and distant. "Mama? What's a mama?" She looked up at Meito and her eyes demanded for an answer.

She's starting to forget, Meito heard himself musing. He bent down so his head reached the same height of the girl's, and out loud he told her, "You'll know when you grow up. How about we return to that interesting conversation about fruits? What did you say about pineapples, girl? Go on, continue. You can hold on to my hand," He extended his hand for the girl as he said this, "and I'll lead you to our room while you entertain me with that nice topic about fruits."

The girl smiled and grabbed onto Meito's hand, continuing her happy talk, her melodious and innocent voice reverberating off the halls.

Behind a certain door, a blond boy sighed and slid his book soundlessly back into its shelf before walking away from the door.

* * *

The girl gulped as Mister focused his heartless eyes on her. Meito placed a hand on her shoulder reassuringly and urged her on, but the girl's legs seemed to be glued to the ground and her heart was weirdly hyperactive that day, hopping restlessly in her chest. Mister coughed dryly, and the girl found her feet functioning properly again. She bounced away on instinct, crashing into Meito as a result. Meito crouched down and scooped her up, and the girl kicked her legs and clawed at Meito's shoulders, trying to get away. She squealed shrilly and saw a boy peek out from a shelf, but took no notice to him. Meito set her down in front of Mister's table and her knees buckled, falling back into Meito's embrace. Meito set her in a chair and she took a tiny peek at Mister, before ducking her head down and staring at her hands. Meito had given her a brown cotton dress that was so long it reached her knees. Beneath the dress the girl wore some black leggings and brown flats. Her teal hair was pulled back into a low ponytail and was hanging down her shoulder. She also wore a black cloak, which Meito kindly sponsored after she declared that she was freezing to the bone.

"So ..." Mister ventured, and the girl snapped her head up to meet his gaze. He reminded her strongly of those monsters in movies, and she didn't like him at all. "Do you know your name?"

The girl frowned, looking away from Mister to a picture of three people eating at a table as her brain worked away furiously trying to push forward a memory that wasn't really there anymore. "N-" She croaked, her voice seemingly rusted because she didn't use it for a very long time, and she coughed. Meito automatically handed her a small glass of water he most likely conjured up from thin air and the girl shot him a thankful glance before gulping down the whole thing. After a few coughs and pats in the back from Meito, her voice was good and ready to use once more. "No. I don't. What is a name?"

Mister folded his hands and placed his chin on them, his beetle-black eyes studying her, digging out her worst secrets. "You can't forget so quickly, that's not how it works ..." He whispered, more to himself than the girl sitting in front of him. "Think harder, girl. I know you can." He said in a louder voice, reaching out to tap her head softly.

The girl narrowed her eyes, her forehead wrinkling - and an impact so hard and forceful hit her head like a throbbing hurricane in the form of a headache and she cried out, her hands grabbing her head. Meito made to help her but Mister shook his head softly, stopping him. Meito gritted his teeth and muttered something about child abuse, but stopped reached out.

_"Miku - Miku - where are you? Mama's coming out to find you!" The closer doors were thrown open as a woman came into view. "Aha! Found you~"_

The pain subsided slowly, and the memory drifted away, fading into black, nothingness. The girl averted her gaze to the man in front of her, Mister, and said to him in such a mechanical voice it probably didn't belong to her,

"Miku. Hatsune Miku."

Mister brightened up and Meito groaned behind her. Shuffling were heard from bookcases nearby but they were probably normal, because neither Mister nor Meito took any notice or made any actions of investigating the noise. The girl soon ignored it, instead focusing her attention on Mister, who was starting to walk at her slowly, and Meito behind her, who sounded really upset, for some reason.

* * *

"Miku!"

The mother called out softly as she opened the door. She was greeted by an empty room, the bed covers weirdly neat and tidy. She scoffed, her eyebrows furrowed. Huh, weird. Even if Miku woke up earlier to surprise her mother, she couldn't have tidied up the covers, as she doesn't know how to. The mother stepped into the room, looking around as her calls steadily became shakier, more worried and concerned. She opened every door and checked every possible place her daughter could hide, but she wasn't anywhere. Her daughter ... she disappeared. The mother wondered why she took so long to realise. She stopped in her tracks and stared into space, before reality hit her with a bang and she started screaming hysterically.

"Miku - Miku! Where are you?! Stop hiding, it isn't funny anymore! Miku!"

* * *

"So you _did _remember," Mister said, his tone impressed and gave the girl a strong impression of _a teacher_. Mister continued his praising speech though, not stopping like the girl wanted him to. "I thought you couldn't. Well, that's enough for today, and ..." He leaned down, his toothpaste-smell breath washing the girl's face, causing her to wrinkle her nose and inch her face away. "... We'll call you Miku. I'd like to introduce you to Len, but ..." Mister shrugged, pulling himself back to his real height. "I'd say that Len is feeling shy today. Huddle along now, and allow Meito to escort you back to your room." He swatted his hands and Meito immediately grabbed the girl's shoulders, pulling her away from Mister and to the door.

"I hate that guy," Meito snarled, baring his teeth as the door shut silently. "He keeps doing those stupid, stupid things to children ... does he have any idea how much that hurts?!" He tightened his grip on the girl's shoulder and she winced very loudly, making Meito take his hands away hurriedly from her shoulders. "Sorry ... does it still hurt? I mean, your head." He added, as the girl shot him a confused look. She considered and nodded hesitantly. Meito sighed and helped her massage her temples soothingly.

"Try to stay away from Mister and everyone else. Stay in my room with me, and if I go to the toilet or a mission of some sorts - which wouldn't be happening as you're here - you will continue to stay in my room. Enlighten yourself with some of those books on the shelves. You understand me?" He gave her such a fierce glare and she couldn't help but nod, wondering what will happen to her if she ever refused. Meito softened his glare and faced the dark and threatening halls, leading the girl to his room.

* * *

Hands floated above the phone's keypad. Hesitation won over her and she brought her hand back to her sides. The mother slumped down on the floor and for the first time in years, she broke down and started sobbing uncontrollably, the pain of losing her only daughter taking over her brain, her mind, her soul.

Leaning on the wall, a man watched her with his striking green eyes narrowed in equal pain.

* * *

When she woke up, Meito was gone.

The girl sat up, yawning and rubbing her eyes at the same time. She scanned the room with her eyes and found a neat stack of clothes on the table - a clean shirt and an ankle-long dress. The girl rubbed the fabric of the cotton dress she was wearing and stood up stiffly, stretching her back by pulling her hands up. She ambled into the white toilet and closed the door, the sound of water running taking over the silence that was hanging in the air since her wake.

When she came out, the girl was dressed in the clothes she found on the table. She pulled on the cloak and fastened it clumsily, dragging the hood over her head. After a quick look in the mirror she grinned. She looked like Meito. She liked Meito. Meito is good. Not like Mister.

Speaking of the devil, a knock on the door sounded and it swung open without any permission whatsoever, revealing a smiling Mister. The girl gulped and in her haste to back away, the hood fell off her head. Mister laughed, a cold and cruel laugh. "She likes you already, Meito." He said, and another person walked into view: Meito. The girl felt a wave of comfort and rushed over to Meito, hugging his legs, her eyes screaming _help_. Mister laughed more. "And she's scared of me."

"Of course she will be, Mister. It's your nature to scare kids off. And it's what you want, isn't it?" Meito said politely, at the same time albeit mockingly. Mister sighed but otherwise kept quiet, crooking a finger for them to follow him. Meito ushered the girl forward, and shut the door of his room. The girl stopped walking for a while so Meito could catch up with her, and tugged onto his cloak. Meito looked down and the girl reached out to him. He got her meaning and clutched her tiny hand tightly, a small smile floating onto his face. She returned it as always.

In the office, Mister resumed his usual seat behind the big desk. Meito stood beside the door, a safe distance away, while the girl stood before Mister's desk. Mister studied her and opened his mouth, thinking of a question to ask. "You like Meito, don't you?"

The girl nodded slowly, before turning her nods into confident, fast ones. Mister chuckled softly before continuing. "You like this place, Miku?" She shook her head. "Why? It's nice here, you know. The outside world is harsh, unhelpful, painful. You never know what's coming. Here though, it's heaven. It's a children's heaven actually. Though they usually take a longer time to get used to the surroundings ..." Mister fixed his gaze on her. "What do you think?"

The girl looked behind, at Meito, and saw his eyes wide and fearful, shouting out _no no no don't believe him no no no you can't just can't it's dangerous for you no please no _as he shook his head quickly. Mister didn't seem to see that movement, his eyes still boring into the girl's body.

"Well?"

She looked back at him, and shook her head. Mister looked disappointed, otherwise he dismissed them off with a wave. The girl returned to Meito's side and saw his hood removed and she finally could see his face. Under a sea of brown hair, soft brown eyes looked kindly at her as Meito's lips curled into a tiny smile.


	4. New Friends

**IMPORTANT NOTICE!**

**According to Hana's notebook/paper pad/whatever reliable piece of paper, she will be in hiatus mode after Hana Day **(March 12) **for some reason that is unidentified, something about potatoes, she guesses. Anyways, her hiatus will last for ... one week? Two weeks? At least one week, maybe. In the period, Hana will be dead. Completely dead. She won't answer any PM's, review any stories, and be invisible. Literally. But maybe she'll be back to update some story or read a new chapter. Anyways ...**

**HIATUS MODE HANA IS EPIC HANA**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**-New Friends-**

* * *

"That was clever of you to remember." Meito praises the girl - Miku - as they walk off to his room, hand in hand. Miku smiles up at him, her teeth gleaming. Meito ruffles her hair affectionately and they continue walking.

In the room, Mister laughs dryly. He fingers a small vial as he bent two of his fingers in the direction of a deserted bookrack. A small boy walked out, his eyes filled with spite. Mister takes no notice, his eyes trained on the vial in his hands. The boy stopped at a distance from the table. Mister takes a small glance at him and croons his fingers once more, only to make the boy take a few steps forward, invisible rays of light seemingly shooting out from his eyes. Mister raises an eyebrow at the boy and he takes the final step, making his knees bumping against the office table. Mister grins and the boy frowns, hissing at him.

Meito leads Miku into their room and sets her down on the bed softly, handing her a glass of water. The girl drinks it quickly, gasping loudly as she sets the glass down on the table with a loud clunk. Meito keeps the glass away, letting Miku rest her head on the fluffy pillow. Pulling up the covers gently, Meito tells Miku to sleep.

"You need rest ... Mister made you remember a big thing, you see? If you don't rest ... well, your brain might explode or something like that. I'm not kidding," Meito added as Miku looked at him with horrified eyes. "It's eight-thirty ... time for you to sleep, anyway. Lights off -"

Miku tugged on Meito's sleeve. Her aquamarine eyes shine brightly at him as she requests for a bedtime story. "It's just like ... I can't remember, but ... I think ... I like those ..." She says distractedly. Meito looks pitifully at her as a sad smile dons his lips. Meito nods slightly, and walks to a rack in big strides that could challenge a giant's, pulling a large book out from the shelf. He blows a coat of dust from the cover and walks back to Miku's side, opening the book and flipping through the fragile pages. He looks at the girl, who was already looking at him in fascination.

"What story do you want? There're all kinds of fairy tales here ... About mermaids ... genies ... fairies ... Pick one." He hands the book to Miku, resting one half on her lap. Her eyes skim the contents page excitedly and she points at a single story, showing a girl with a body ending in a fish tail sitting on a rock, combing her hair sadly, her eyes closed and mouth opened in silent song. Meito smiles softly. "That's a mermaid." He explains, and the girl's eyes glimmer as she shows a toothy grin, gaps of missing teeth making her look innocent and naive ... which she is.

Meito pulls up the blankets to Miku's chest level once more and she snuggles at his side, listening to his husky voice as he tells the story.

"Once Upon a Time ... There were twelve princesses, they all lived under the sea. They all had the same bodies: the upper half of a human and under the waist, a fish's tail. They had a father, he was the king of the whole sea. Their mother died of a young age, their grandmother thus becoming the "queen" of the country. Their grandmother told them lots of fascinating stories ..."

Mister and the boy have a staring contest. The boy glares, and Mister looks back, amused smile on his lips. The staring contest goes on, and no one was willing to blink or give up.

* * *

The next day, Mister calls for Miku. Meito picks up his cloak and fastens it, mumbling incoherent curses under his breath as an unwilling look creases his forehead. Miku wears her cloak, watching as the hood fell over her eyes and the too-long fabric covers her skinny legs and pool all around the floor like a black waterfall. Meito looks at her and chuckles, taking off her cloak. He grabs a shorter one and fastens it for her, the cloth just touching the floor. Meito smiles at Miku and the two walk off, hand in hand.

"Don't do anything to her." A boy spits, his pale fingers gripping the thick covers of the book he was holding in his hands. "Don't you dare." Mister smirks at him, testing him out, and the boy glares back before sweeping away to the dark corners of the room. As if on cue, a knock sounded and the door swung open, not waiting for an answer. Meito stood by the entrance, the tiny girl literally shielded by his legs. She poked her head out from Meito's legs and looked quickly at Mister before ducking away again.

Meito ushered Miku into the room, looked at Mister quickly and assured Miku with his smile. Mister waved his hand at Meito and he bowed curtly, exiting the room and shutting the door with a thud. The girl immediately rushed to the door, trying to open it.

"Ah," Mister interrupted, and Miku turned to look at him, "we'll be having a ..." Mister flashed his teeth. "_Nice talk together._" Pulling out a chair he ordered the girl to sit, which she unwillingly obliged, her eyes narrowed with confusion and curiosity. "So ..." A emerald gem poked out from Mister's fingers but he hid it from sight. "Do you know what are humans, Miku?" He asked, and the girl in question hesitantly shook her head.

"Humans ... Ah, you and I are humans. Meito is, too. We are ... life. We have our own thinkings, our own memories, our ... _desires_, if that's how you'd put it. We have individual personalities, and we may take a special liking to a special someone. Take you and Meito for an example. You've only met him for a few days, and look at you ... You're clinging to him." Meito tilted his head. "Mind telling me why?"

Miku, on the other hand, had her head spinning. She didn't understand a single word he - Mister - was saying. Not at all. Especially that bit about ... what, desires? She tapped her chin, thinking, and formed an answer at last: "I don't know."

Mister's grin widened. "That's the point. You liked him at first sight, probably because of his kind eyes and caring personality, am I right? But we, humans, are easily led to the wrong road. Let's see- Meito could look really kind and nice at the outside, but have you ever thought how he is like in the _inside_? Maybe, just maybe, what if he's ... one of the sinners? Slowly affecting you ... making you one of their kind. This is the world, Miku, and the world is harsh. So are humans. Like I said, humans are easily influenced, and if the world they are living in is harsh, why won't _they _themselves be cruel, wanting to mix with others?"

Miku watched on as Mister talks on, winding his musical voice around her body, her mind, her thoughts. She didn't really know what he was talking about, Mister could tell, but she was having her doubts.

_That's enough for today._

He stood up, and blindly Miku followed. Holding out a hand, Miku takes it and Mister shakes hands with the tiny girl, before pushing her lightly in the back, signalling her to go out. She walked out from the door, taking one last glance at Mister, before closing the door.

The boy from before jumps out from a bookrack and pounces on Mister, glaring at him. "I thought I told you not to tell her that!" He hisses. Mister laughs and pushes the boy off from his chest easily, brushing his jacket.

"Must I listen?"

* * *

Miku walks from the office, stumbling around the giant mansion mindlessly. Without Meito, she was nothing ... an empty vessel with its soul stolen and hidden away. She stares around the halls, her footsteps blind of direction. Just as she was about to fall to the floor from weakness, strong hands grasp her arms and hoist her up. She sees brilliant blue eyes staring at her, pink hair framing the snow white face, tints of red decorating its cheeks.

"Are you okay?"

Melodious. Miku awakes from her trance, blinking and looking around. She stares at the girl before her. Behind the pink-haired girl was another pink-haired girl, just a little younger. Standing beside the young girl were two other children - one with lime green hair, the colour of meadows and grass, and one with golden hair that glittered under the morning sunlight. She nods. The girl grins and straightens herself, at the same time helping Miku to get a better grip on the floor.

"My name is Luka," The girl announces, placing a delicate hand on her chest. "I am seven. That one there is Luko," She says, gesturing to the other pinkhead, and the girl waved shyly. "She is six and also my younger sister. Rinto is the blond one over there, he's seven tomorrow!" Luka squeals and the one with sun-coloured hair waves, a small smile on his lips. "Remember to get him a present! And finally, the green-haired one is Gumi. You can call her Gummy Bear, it's what we call her." Gumi protested feebly at Luka's teases and the other two snickered slightly. "Anyways, she's six, too. How about you?" The four's eyes immediately stare at Miku, and she shivered.

"M-Miku. Umm, I think I'm six."

Rinto wrinkled his nose. "Mister did it again. Screw him," He muttered under his breath. Luko tugged on her sister's dress and Luka looked down.

"What did Mister do?" Luko asked timidly, as if she was breaking the law. Luka snickered and ruffled Luko's hair.

"Don't bother Rinto," Luka said dismissively, "He's always like that." Rinto glared at Luka and Gumi laughed. Miku giggled. All of them stared at her again, so suddenly it took the tealette by surprise.

"You sound really nice when you laugh!" Gumi cried, and Miku blushed red, hiding her face in her hands. Gumi ran to her, and in her haste to rush over to Miku she tripped and fell. Rinto laughed at her. Gumi stood up and acted like nothing had happened, like her falling down is normal. Gumi shook Miku's hand. "You're so cute, just like Luko! I mean, well, your personalities are so similar, look -" She pointed at Luko, who was blushing furiously at the compliment. "I like you already ..." Gumi said in admiration, hugging Miku's arm.

"Aye, Gumi, you're scaring her!" Rinto said teasingly, separating Miku from Gumi. "Anyways, let's be great friends, okay?" He invited, smiling warmly at Miku. She nodded slowly, before breaking into a grin.


End file.
